Pendraken Miniatures Forum

There hasn't been a poll for awhile and I have recently been curious about the term "wargame". What does it mean? What does it include?
The poll is to help establish boundaries. I voted that ALL are wargames ("War-the card game", however, is not).
You can vote for two (I think, I've never tried multiple selections).

Oh man.  Tactics II was my first step into actual wargaming.  Countless hours of me and my father playing.  What a fond memory.   :-B  From there it lead into miniatures and everything else.


I selected "More than one..", I don't count "Paper, Rock, Scissors" or "Texas Hold'em".  To me their focus is not on war, military units or strategy.

OK, to analyse the elements of a "wargame".

1) A theme that involves violence or the possibility of violence.
2) Two or more competing sides.
3) An element of chance.
4) Representation of an environment

I voted for the last two options...  :P

Quote from: fsn on 14 October 2017, 05:29:20 PM
OK, to analyse the elements of a "wargame".

1) A theme that involves violence or the possibility of violence.
2) Two or more competing sides.
3) An element of chance.
4) Representation of an environment

My Dear friend your analysis is a little flawed, as it could be applied to more than wargames eg. The  list could also be applied to your dalliances/games/depraved sessions (delete as appropriate ) with your "friend" Miss Whiplash  :), as I have illustrated below.

1) A theme that involves violence or the possibility of violence.  - Her name says it all. Its the violence you like

2) Two or more competing sides. - You are both competing - She is trying to make you "finish" quickly so she can go.  You are trying to "hold out" so you get a longer pleasurable experience

3) An element of chance.- There is a chance that she might leave with your wallet/cash/credit card/clothes  (delete as appropriate)  while you are tied up and blindfolded

4) Representation of an environment - Each scene you play out is from an environment. Cowboy and Barmaid, Prisoner and Jailer, Rich 19th Century gentleman and Actress, Slave and Mistress etc.

 

Its got to be more than one as

"Texas Hold em" is a game Redneck boys play with their sisters?

Rock, Paper Scissors, is pure chance not strategy

Warhammer 40k ?  Whats that ?????   :D

I think the category setup is a bit odd.

You can vote for two items - but one of the options is "More than one is not a wargame"

I voted for Texas Holdem and Rock Paper Scissors.

Interesting comments already, thanks!
Two quick points:
The last two categories, which seem somewhat contradictory, were by design. (Although I wasn't positive the "pick two" would work).
Texas Hold'em, a Poker (-uh- the card game) variant, and Rock,Paper,Scissors (when either are played face-to-face) derive a large portion of game strategy from "reading" your opponent(s).

Tactics II was my "gateway drug" also.  :)

Quote from: Orcs on 14 October 2017, 06:54:17 PM
"Texas Hold em" is a game Redneck boys play with their sisters?

Please bear in mind we Texans do have some standards.  So no to sisters... 2nd cousins probably.   <)

Now venture NorthEast a little bit to Arkansas and sisters are fair game. 

Those tall, leggy Texan gals can all outrun their brothers, is what he's saying.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 15 October 2017, 12:48:59 AM
Those tall, leggy Texan gals can all outrun their brothers, is what he's saying.

Only if they want to   :)

A lot of wargame philosphy is made on the idea of rock, siccessors, paper....   then you call them spear, cavalry, archers and you put a complex rules. But at the end you secretly know who is gonna win if two of them confront...

in example total war computer games: cavalry beats archers, archers beat infantry, infantry beat cavalry...

I have often thought that when the wargame community worries about whether it is shrinking or shrinking!  it never takes into account the millions of people playing Call of Duty type computer games, who do not see themselves as wargamers ..... but are, they just don't know it.

Pointless me answering this given my well-known stand on the subject.